The Death of a Kage
by Obscure Stranger
Summary: The Yondaime sacrificed himself for the Village and Sarutobi has now been reinstated as Hokage. With the Village in ruins, the Council conspiring, as always, and Naruto in the Third's care, what could happen? UNDERGOING REVISION
1. Minato's Decision

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

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"**Minato's Decision"**

The Yondaime Hokage stared out the window, his eyes locked on the rising sun, his face void of all emotion. He let out a sigh, shaking his head as he turned around to look at the papers scattered on his desk, he stepped over, leaning down on the mahogany desktop, carefully scrutinizing a very complicated looking diagram.

The doors to his office burst open, "Hokage-sama, the Kyuubi approaches!" The Hokage clenched his fists, knuckles slowly turning white, "Ho-Hokage-sama?" the Chuunin asked nervously.

Minato looked up, blue eyes hardening, "All Shinobi are to attempt to prevent the Kyuubi from reaching the Village, at all costs." The chuunin looked frozen. "NOW!" Minato shouted, slamming his hand down on the desk causing a few documents to fall to the floor.

"Hai, Yondaime-sama!" The chuunin ran out of the room to go and inform his fellow shinobi of their new orders.

Minato fell back into his chair, hands holding his head. He pulled at his blonde locks, hoping that there was some way to banish the Kyuubi from Konoha without endangering the village itself. He let out another shaky breath, the summoning scroll on the ground catching his eye; he straightened up, an idea having struck him.

He hurriedly grabbed a blank scroll and a calligraphy brush and began drawing out what he hoped would save them all. He finished the last stroke of the seal, leaning back; he ran a hand through his blonde hair, "A sacrifice and a vessel for the demon." Minato slowly stood up, turning back to face the large bay window that he looked out of earlier.

"Yondaime-sama! Yondaime-sama!" Another chuunin, a medic this time, ran into the room, panting heavily.

Minato turned, eyes narrowed, "What is it?" he asked, expecting the worst that the Kyuubi had penetrated the walls of Konoha, hoping for the best that the demon had left, disappeared.

"Yondaime-sama, Kushina-san she… she didn't make it, sir."

Minato froze, blue eyes void of any and all emotion, "What did you say?" he questioned softly.

The chuunin swallowed, averting his eyes from the village's leader, "She didn't make it. I— she—"

His jaw clenched, "The baby? What about the baby?" There was a tense silence in the room as the medic avoided the gaze of the Hokage. "Tell me, dammit!"

"The baby, he is alive, sir, but just barely."

Minato let out a shaky breath, leaning against his desk, "Bring him to me," he whispered.

"What, sir?"

"I said, bring him to me!"

"Hai!" The medic shushined back to the hospital, shoving his way through the crowd to the private room of the late Uzumaki Kushina, he glanced over at her pale body, a glint of sadness in his eyes. He grabbed the baby boy that was lying in the small cradle next to the hospital bed.

The baby whimpered slightly and the chuunin quieted him softly. A nurse entered the room; startled to see the man holding the baby, "What're you doing?" she questioned, the pitch of her voice rising.

He looked up at her, holding a finger to his lips, "Shh, he's sleeping… and Yondaime-sama, he asked me to bring him the child."

The nurse quieted, turning to look at the prone form of Kushina, "I see," she said softly, "Take him quickly, then, you must now keep Hokage-sama waiting."

The medic nodded, forming a hand seal to shushin back to the Hokage's office. "Yondaime-sama?" he asked.

Minato stared out at his village for a long moment before closing his eyes. He lifted his head to reveal eyes burning with the will of fire, he stepped around the desk, grabbing the baby from the chuunin, and walking out into the lobby of the Hokage Tower, his white cloak fluttering behind him as he made his way to the battlefield.

The shinobi who had remained behind to protect the civilians watched in silence as their esteemed leader exited the village, his presence and demeanor giving the hope that he had discovered how to subdue the demon. He paused just outside the village gates; the small bundle in his hands went unnoticed by the people. He glanced over his shoulder, azure eyes glinting with emotion.

"Do not worry, I shall protect you," he murmured to the sleeping baby in his arms, "And you shall protect all of Konoha, little one." He clutched the child to his chest, summoning Gamabunta, his giant toad summon. He stood atop the beast, facing the sunrise.

"What have you summoned me here for, Minato?" the toad rumbled.

Minato looked toward the raging battle, "The Kyuubi," he started softly, "Is attacking Konoha as we speak."

The Yondaime Hokage stood atop Gamabunta, the giant toad summon, his azure eyes gazing out at the battlefield, held tightly within his arms was a young child. He glanced down at the gurgling baby, his white robe billowing in the breeze caused by the Kyuubi's destructive power, its tails swishing through the air as it inched closer and closer to Konoha, and his eyes softened.

"It's okay young one, all will be well. I hope that you will be able to forgive me for this one day", the Yondaime whispered to the newborn baby he cradled in his arms, he gave the baby a small smile before looking up at the combat zone, his eyes hardening.

"Get me as close as you can Gamabunta, this is our only chance", he shouted as he prepared himself to execute his final act as Hokage and seal the Kyuubi with the small child he held.

Gamabunta charged towards the nine-tailed fox. "I hope you know what you're doing", he roared as they neared the raging demon.

The Yondaime's hands quickly flashed through the seals needed as he shouted the words that would seal the demon: "Shiki Fujin no Jutsu_"_.

Behind the Kage of the Hidden Leaf Village the ghastly form of the Shinigami appeared, a sinister expression upon its face, a look that promised death, the Yondaime held the baby tightly as he finished drawing the seal on the baby's stomach, the Kyuubi's essence slowly seeped into the seal, effectively caging the beast and saving the Village of Konoha.

Namikaze Minato gazed down at the child within his arms and whispered his last words, "Forgive me, my son."

The Shinigami turned its head to stare at the child in the Yondaime's arms, a solemn expression on its face, blue and red eyes locked and the chakra of the Fourth Hokage slowly trickled into the stomach of the Shinigami.

Gamabunta turned away from the image, a glint of sadness in the giant toad's eye as he disappeared with a puff of smoke, no longer able to stay with his summoner, and the Yondaime fell through the clouded air landing on the scorched earth, his body laying in the bloody remains of the battle, and the baby still held tightly within his arms, whisker marks now permanently etched on its cheeks, began to cry.

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**AN:** Hello. This is just something that has been stuck in my head for quite sometime. I am hoping that it will develop into something more, but only time can tell. Tell me what you think even if it is just to criticize I will appreciate it. If there are any grammatical or spelling errors please inform me so that I can fix them. Thank you very much. I just added a part with Kushina due to the advice of one cute amy.

**_Edited: November 9, 2010_**


	2. The Council

**Disclaimer:** I will never own _Naruto_, but I do have a copy of the first volume.

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"**The Council"**

The baby shivered as the wind shifted raging around the Yondaime and the child, twisting and turning the wind and rain covered him. He let out a wail, hoping that this unknown, fearful sensation would stop, and cold radiating off of the man's body.

A group walked out of the forest, slowly making their way across the field, several of them breaking off to check and see if any of the men and women lying on the ground was alive. The hunched over, old man in the front stepped over to the Yondaime's body, a glint of sadness in his eyes.

"Minato…" he whispered, staring down at the blonde man. The baby whimpered, his little hands gripping the fabric of the standard blue hospital blanket that cradled him. A withered, old hand reached down to grab the child out of the dead mans arms, picking him up gently holding him in his arms, the Sandaime closed his eyes, clutching the child to his chest.

"A child?" Sarutobi questioned as the baby opened his cerulean blue eyes, staring up at old man holding him. He ran his fingers across the whisker marks adorning the baby's cheeks; a tiny grin lit the child's face before he let out a yawn, falling asleep in the warm embrace.

"He looks very much like you, Minato." Sarutobi turned around, intent on taking the small child back to the village, and more specifically the hospital. The blanket around the baby shifted as the Sandaime moved, revealing a complicated seal tattooed onto his stomach. Dread filled Sarutobi's heart.

"You didn't?" He gazed at the seal, taking apart the puzzle in his mind; he wasn't known as the Professor for nothing, "You did, oh, Minato, what were you thinking?"

The baby snuggled into his chest, not knowing what the future would bring for him.

"Sandaime-sama," a man interjected, taking a step towards their newly reinstated leader, "We have found none alive, sir," the medic finished.

"Continue searching," Sarutobi ordered, "I will return to the village and also the Yondaime's body… it shall have to be taken back to the Village."

"Hai, Sandaime-sama," the man saluted, turning back to do as ordered.

Sarutobi began to walk back toward the village, thinking and planning intently on what to do with the child in his arms. He absentmindedly shifted the child into a more comfortable position as he entered the village gates and headed towards the hospital.

"Hokage-sama?" a soft feminine voice questioned as he entered the lobby of the hospital, the nurse looked over at him worriedly, "Is there something that you need?"

He looked over at her, she was young he noted mentally, holding out the child in his arms. She gasped, one hand covering her mouth before striding forward, grabbing the baby from him, her other hand glowing green as she checked his vitals. After a minute she let out a relieved breath, moving the child to a more comfortable position, his head resting on her shoulder, she patted his back gently.

"Do you know anything about him?" Sarutobi questioned, his eyes on the blonde baby.

She lifted a hand, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear, "Hai, he is the son of Kushina-sama and Yondaime-sama." She bit her lip. "A man came earlier and took him to Yondaime-sama, but that's all I know…" she trailed off.

Sarutobi let out a sigh, closing his eyes, "What is your name?"

"Amaya, Hokage-sama."

"Amaya," he repeated, testing the name on lips. He nodded to himself, coming to a decision. "I have a favor to ask you, Amaya-san," he started, "I need you to watch over the child for me."

"Hai, Hokage sama. May I ask why?" she inquired.

"Minato is dead," he said simply.

Her eyes widened, watering slightly, "I see," she murmured, her hold on the baby tightened as he let out a small whimper. "I… if you don't mind me asking," she faltered, looking away, "Do you know the child's name?"

Sarutobi stared at the baby for a moment, "I believe that they wished him to be named Naruto."

"Naruto," Amaya said softly, her brown eyes turning to the child in her arms.

Sarutobi paused, "I leave him in your capable hands, do not fail me."

She nodded, eyes full of determination, "I won't Hokage-sama." He stared at her for a moment before turning to walk to the Hokage Mountain where Minato would be laid to rest and where he would resume his role as the Kage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Rain poured down from dark gray clouds in large droplets; the sky crying for the death of the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure, crowds of civilians and shinobi alike making their way to the funeral service of their hero; the man who had single handedly beat Iwa in the Great Shinobi War, the Yellow Flash of Konoha.

Why was death so cruel? Sure, shinobi kill thousands upon thousands of others each generation, but the death of a single man causes so much despair for this village. The mourning people of the village of Konoha stood, forming a large mass of black in the midst of the square, ignoring the drops of rain falling down upon the earth in a gentle caress. They all stood silent in front of the Hokage Mountain, staring up at the face of Namikaze Minato, all doing their best to hold back their tears and remain strong for the man who had given his own life to save them all.

The Sandaime Hokage slowly walked up to the pedestal where a picture of Minato sat, heaps of white carnations laying around the stand in a large circle. He turned to face the people of the village, his wrinkled face blank, but his eyes filled with emotion. He cleared his scratchy throat.

"This day," he began, "We mourn the loss of a hero…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly walked into the office of the Hokage, leaning his weight on the cane held in his left hand. He laid his wrinkled hand on the top of the mahogany desk, letting his hand drag across the surface as he stepped around the wooden piece of furniture. He stared forlornly at the chair behind the desk, letting out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagged slightly, his back popping as he lowered himself into the chair once more.

"I never thought that this old man would have to sit in this chair again," he murmured to himself, taking a pipe out of his pocket and lighting it up, the smell of pipe weed filling the room. He stared at the Hokage's hat that was laying on the edge of the desk and his eyes slowly closed, "_Minato_." He tenderly grabbed the hat, feeling the silk between his fingers before gently placing it atop his head.

Sarutobi sat in silence, eyes darting around the room; he let out a puff of smoke, his eyes returning to the desktop. He leaned forward, reaching for a piece of paper off of the pile of paperwork laid on top of the desk. Grabbing the calligraphy brush and dipping it into a small pot of ink he wearily began reading through the document, though his mind was on another situation entirely.

He put down the paper, working his way through the stack almost automatically. He blinked, trying to clear his blurring vision as he took in the wording on the piece of parchment in his hand; it was a birth certificate. He carefully lowered the paper, his heart pounding with guilt.

"_Why? Why did the Kyuubi attack the Village? Why did Minato have to die? Why didn't I- why did I not take his place? Why would he sacrifice his son for the sake of this village? Why condemn his heir to—"_ he choked slightly before continuing, _"To live such a life_." He covered his face with his hands, rubbing at his temples.

A series of three rapid knocks brought him out of his stupor, he looked up, regaining his composure, "Come in," he called, his voice slightly hoarse. He winced inwardly at the slight tremble; "_A Kage must be strong for his people_."

The door slowly opened and a masked figure walked in, kneeling before the Sandaime. "Hokage-sama," the figure said roughly.

Sarutobi straightened up in his seat, "Stand up and speak."

The man slowly stood up, brushing off his knees before looking at the Kage in the eye, "The Council requests a meeting with you immediately, Hokage-sama."

He hummed thoughtfully, thinking to himself for a moment. He gradually began to stand up, bones creaking. "These old bones of mine can't take much more," he chuckled, walking around the desk, the shinobi shifted, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the Sandaime's easygoing manner.

"Well, we mustn't keep the Council waiting," Sarutobi stated, making his way to the door, the hidden Anbu that guarded him were watching his every move, one of them disappearing to the Council room to check for any threats to their leader.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," the messenger replied, following the old man. The pair quietly made their way out of the tower, taking a path to walk up to the Council's room.

Sarutobi felt a pang in his heart when he saw the destructed buildings and the ruins left behind by the attack of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. "_We will rebuild them, but we cannot rebuild the people lost_," he returned his gaze forward, looking straight at the impressive oak doors that were built into the mountain, a layer of metal on the inside to reinforce them, and seals covering them so that none could spy into the meetings held within its premises.

The chuunin guarding the entrance way quickly, and quite clumsily, bowed when they spotted the Sandaime Hokage.

"Open the door, you idiot," the older one hissed at the younger and, most likely, rookie chuunin.

The boy's eyes widened, "Oh, right." He quickly turned around, pushing the doors open quickly.

The Sandaime let out a small, amused chuckle at the boy's behavior and stepped into the room; his amused expression falling immediately as he adopted a solemn expression for what he was sure to be an extremely long and taxing meeting. The doors closed behind him, a small white glow encompassing the entrance as the room was sealed shut to prevent anyone, be they civilians or shinobi, from interrupting the meeting.

"Ah, Hiruzen, we are so glad to see that you have joined us, my friend," called the voice of his old teammate, Homura.

"It is good to see you as well, though perhaps it would be better under different circumstances," Sarutobi replied.

"Yes, I suppose you're right, as always, Hiruzen," Koharu murmured, nodding her head in greeting to Sarutobi returned the gesture as he sat down in the center chair that was so recently occupied by his predecessor. He gazed around the room, eyes landing and stopping on various council members, each giving him a respectful dip of their head.

Danzo watched this all through his one uncovered eye, leaning back in his chair, a plan running through his mind. He cleared his throat, slowly pushing himself up to stand and glanced around the room, gaining the attention of all.

"I believe we all know why it is we have been summoned here today." There was a moment of silence then he stepped out from behind the table, walking around.

"My father and grandfather died in battle as ninja. Self-sacrifice is a ninja's duty. The Yondaime fulfilled his duty," he paused strategically before continuing._ "_The death of a Kage is never pleasant, it makes the village lose hope, it also makes the village look weak."

His eye glinted, "And we must do what we can now to prevent anyone from trying to attack the Village. Yes, we have been weakened by the attack of the Kyuubi, yes, a majority of our shinobi forces have been slain, yes, our Kage has been killed."

He took a breath, turning to face the rest of the council, "But we cannot waver. The Village can be rebuilt; a new generation of shinobi can be trained. That is the easy part. What we must decide now is what to do with the child that the Yondaime had chosen to use as the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune as well as find out who it was that ordered the Demon to attack our village."

He glanced at the Head of the Uchiha Clan out of the corner of his eye, "I suspect that there are individuals inside the village who were involved in this incident and it is in my opinion that we—" He paused. "—relocate these individuals to a more secluded area of the village where they can be monitored."

The Uchiha Clan Head slammed one hand down on the table and stood, his dōjutsu activating, "Now, see here, Danzo, you can not go throwing out accusations without proof."

Danzo turned to face him, "I did no such thing. Perhaps you have something that you would like to say?"

The Uchiha paled slightly before sneering at the man, and sitting down, his red Sharingan eyes still spinning furiously, "I retract my statement."

Danzo stared at the man a moment longer, his gaze lingering on the Sharingan eyes that he possessed before facing the Sandaime, "And what is your opinion on this matter, Hokage-sama?" he asked, eying his rival.

All of the council members heads turned to the Sandaime, curious to his outlook on the matter at hand. Sarutobi stayed quiet for a moment, elbows propped up on the tabletop and his hands folded underneath his chin; his eyes were thoughtful.

"I believe that Danzo has the right outlook on the matter of these individuals who may have aided those who planned this attack against the Village."

Danzo straightened slightly, surprised that his rival had agreed with him.

"However, there are other factors to consider in this situation," Sarutobi let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair, "The Village is already chaotic; the people are distressed; the foundations of Konohagakure need to be replaced."

"And how do you supposed we do that, Hokage-sama?" A man questioned, almost angrily.

Sarutobi looked over at the man, his eyes hardened, "It is vital that we must restore the peace within the villager's mindset. Once that has been accomplished we can begin on other subjects. These individuals that you suspect—" He glanced at Danzo. "You will give me a list of their names so that I may decide whether or not they should be monitored."

A few of the council members looked like they were about to protest his decision and Danzo sat back down in his chair, now scrawling down names on an empty scroll, Sarutobi held up a hand, calling for silence. "This meeting is now adjourned. All of you may leave, except for you, Koharu and Homura, there is something that I wish to discuss with you."

The rest of the council stood, exiting the room, several of them muttering to one another, the Uchiha head sending a dark glare at Danzo as he too left. One councilman stepped over to Homura and whispered in his ear.

"The council wills that the container be killed."

Homura stared at the man before nodding seriously. The man dipped his head in respect before walking out of the room. Danzo blew on the ink, rolling up the scroll and stood, handing the scroll to Sarutobi.

"Hokage-sama," he nodded at the man once, his eyes searching before turning to leave, the sound of his cane tapping on the stone floor echoing in the room.

Sarutobi grabbed the scroll, sliding it into a pocket sown on the inside of his robe; he patted the place before standing.

He snapped, calling forth one of the hidden Anbu, "Go to the hospital and tell Amaya-san to give you the child then come back here." The Anbu with the bird mask nodded in response and shushined to the hospital.

Koharu peered over at Sarutobi, "What is going on? Why are you having a child brought here?"

Sarutobi remained silent and, this time, Homura tried to pry him into speaking. "Is this child the container that the Yondaime used?"

Sarutobi kept quiet, waiting for the Anbu to come back with the child in hand.

The Anbu reappeared in front of the three, the blonde baby in his arms, "Hokage-sama," he said, holding out the child, inwardly feeling very uncomfortable with such a fragile person in his grasp. The Sandaime grabbed the child, relieving the Anbu of his mission and sent him away. Sarutobi looked at his old teammates, "This is Naruto; he is the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

There was silence in the room as the man and woman looked over the baby, Koharu's eyes lingering on the whisker marks on his cheeks. Her and Homura exchanged a look, both thinking the same thing.

"Hiruzen… the child is a liability, his existence endangers the life of the Village and its citizens," Homura stated finally breaking the silence.

"We must do what is best for Konoha," Koharu said softly, eyes gazing at the small baby, "And we cannot allow for him to live, it's too dangerous."

Sarutobi's eyes hardened, "It was Minato's will that the boy live, that he be called a hero."

"But what can a child, a mere babe, do that a Kage cannot?" Homura questioned, "How are we to know that the Yondaime's seal will not break? That it will not falter?"

"Are you saying that you do not trust your Kage?"

"No, I am not saying that at all, dear friend," Homura shook his head, "What I am saying is that—"

"The Village is more important than any of it's individual members, Hiruzen," Koharu interjected. There was silence between the three.

"Even if that is so," Sarutobi started, "Should we not honor the dying request of the Yondaime Hokage? The man who sacrificed all that had for our survival?" He stood from his seat, turning to face the window. "Enough blood has been spilled already. I will not simply stand by and allow you to kill him."

"Hiruzen," Homura's eyes narrowed, "We are your advisors and we, along with the rest of the council, have come to a decision, that the child be kill—"

Sarutobi turned, his eyes flashing, "You may be my advisors and you may have the council on your side, but that is all that you are. Advice is all you can give me; I can choose not to follow it. The council? It's just a show for the civilians to think that they have some choice, some power in the village." He paused, his gaze unwavering, "Know this, it is I who is the Kage of this village, not you… and my word is law."

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**AN: **I hope that you all enjoy this, I'm sorry that it took so long, but it's four and a half pages in word, so I hope that the length more than makes up for the lateness. If you notice any spelling mistakes or if something doesn't make sense, or if you just have a suggestion let me know. Thank you and please review.

**_Edited: November 9, 2010_**


	3. Assasination Attempt

**Disclaimer:** Still do not own Naruto and probably never will.

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"**Assassination Attempt"**

The night was silent, the dark sky filled with random sprinkles of light, the stars shining, the moon sitting beside them, casting its pale light upon the earth. A barely seen figure jumped from rooftop to rooftop, his entire body encased in black, the face covered with a white mask. He fingered the handle of the sword hanging around his waist as he made his way to the village hospital.

The shinobi paused, crouching down on the tree branch and staring through the open window at the cradle containing his target. He crawled out of the tree, inching forward toward the window, silently checking for traps or seals of any kind; there were none. He entered the room, glancing around to see if their were any others inside then stepped over to the baby, checking to see if it was the right one, that the information was correct.

The man reached into the cradle, lifting the blanket that covered the child just a hair to see three whisker marks on both cheeks. His target, named Uzumaki Naruto, shifted in his sleep, rolling over, a tiny fist holding onto the blanket tightly, the other moving up to his mouth, drool covering the small hand. He nodded to himself, unsheathing the sword at his side.

"I don't normally kill children, in fact, I make a point to avoid it," he stated honestly to the sleeping babe, "But, then again, I suppose that you aren't a child, are you? You're a demon." He quickly brought down the blade, intending to kill the child as swiftly and cleanly as possible, after all, it wouldn't do for him to get caught in the act, and besides he didn't like to make a mess of things.

The would-be assassin was taken by surprise when several things happened that he had not prepared himself for; the first being that of the power of the entity locked inside the child; the second that the room was being monitored by hidden Anbu agents; the third and final, that Sarutobi Hiruzen, the God of Shinobi and the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, would be his executioner.

He was blasted away from Naruto with a volatile tendril of blood red chakra, he hit his head on the wall near the window, sliding down to the tiled floor, his vision blurring. Then the two Anbu members stepped out of the darkness, darting forward to detain the man, they were, however, too slow and were beaten to the chase by none other than their leader, the Sandaime Hokage.

Sarutobi appeared out of nowhere, a sharpened kunai ready in his wrinkled old hand, he moved toward the assassin with a speed surprising for one so old and rammed the kunai through the man's side, instantly disabling him. He withdrew his hand that was now coated with blood, wiping it off on the front of his robe, and stood staring down at the assailant.

"Hokage-sama?" the female Anbu with the ocelot facemask asked.

"Tell Ibiki that he has a new subject to work with," he paused, watching as the man was lifted off the ground, "And Ocelot…"

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"Make sure to inform Ibiki that he needn't be gentle with this one, I give him full permission to break this man." Ocelot nodded and shushined to the Torture and Interrogation department, ready to hand Ibiki his new prisoner.

Sarutobi stood there a moment longer, his eyes staring down at the small pool of blood on the floor, the only proof that the man had been in the room. He let out a breath, turning around to go and check on Naruto; he stepped over, looking down at the blonde child. A small smile graced his face and his eyes softened as he saw that Naruto was still sound asleep.

He was inwardly feeling relieved, a child should not have to see violence at such an age. He reached over to grab the blanket, pulling it over the baby, his smile turning to a frown when he spotted the blood still staining his hand. He quickly pulled his hand back, not wanting to have blood so near the youngster, and used his other hand to gently and lovingly tuck the child in.

He lingered there a moment longer, content to just watch over the babe, but he knew that he had other things that he must attend to, specifically to the paperwork that now had to be done because of Ibiki's new inmate. He back away, stopping to close the window and seal it shut, and made his way out of the room and paused, glancing over his shoulder at the worn cradle that held Minato's son inside of it.

Sarutobi softly closed the door to the room, snapping his fingers the instant that it shut and waited for an Anbu to appear. One did not even a moment later, kneeling before him, their head bowed.

"Hokage-sama?" the male Anbu asked, deferring to his leader.

"Tora, you are to stand watch over Uzumaki Naruto, no one, excluding myself, Ocelot, Amaya-san, and you are to enter this room. Do I make myself clear?"

Tora nodded, accepting the mission, "Hai, Hokage-sama, perfectly clear. I will ensure that no one enters the room, if they attempt to do so then they will die by my blade."

Sarutobi dismissed him with a wave of his hand and started forward, knowing that Tora would do his job well, not bothering to ask the Anbu to ask questions first and kill later; he had already tried that method and it hadn't worked, now was the time to make sure that Naruto stayed safe at all costs.

Ibiki stared down at the new present that he had just received from the Hokage, a blank expression on his scarred face, he gazed at the man a moment longer before turning around, his black trench coat flaring slightly.

"Bandage up his side… it wouldn't do for him to bleed to death before we got started," he stated over his shoulder, his eyes flashing with a promise that made the bleeding assassin shiver in response.

One of the people in the room, bent down, slowly wrapping bandages around the man's stomach, not bothering to be gentle for the assassin would need to get used to the sensation of pain because it was only going to get worse from here on.

The man looked up weakly, his vision still blurred, he pushed the hands of the person away from him, whether or not his side was wrapped or not it wouldn't matter; he had heard of Ibiki and his methods. He pushed himself off of the floor, slowly standing on his feet, swaying slightly and took a step forward. He staggered after the guard who was leading him further down the dark corridor to a more private room where the interrogation would begin.

He was led to a metal chair in the middle of the room and his arms were tied behind his back, making him sit in an extremely uncomfortable position and his side throbbed with pain as he stared down at the reflective surface of the rectangular table in front of him, he grimaced and then cleared his expression, waiting for the pending torture.

Ibiki leaned against the gray wall, his arms crossed over his chest and stared down at the prisoner, and silence reigned in the cramped room, he mentally decided to start out simple and ease into things.

"I believe that you've heard of me. I'm a specialist, but I don't have to make this painful, so tell me everything that I want to know and you won't get hurt, I promise," Ibiki stated, his voice soft and calm. "Now, what is your name?"

The man remained silent.

"What is your name?" Ibiki repeated slightly louder, the man continued his silence, his brown eyes staring down at the ground as he pondered his situation and Ibiki felt his lips tug up in an daunting grin, "I'll ask one more time and then we'll move onto to less… pleasant methods."

The assassin twitched and Ibiki's grin widened just a fraction, he took a step forward, starting to circle around the prisoner and withdrew an object from a holster on his leg. He paused behind the man.

"Do you see this?" he questioned, leaning over the man's shoulder and holding out the blade, "Did you know that there are only a few blades like this in existence? Such a pretty little thing, isn't it?" He hummed thoughtfully, his eyes locked on the knife as he waved it back and forth, the metal catching the light from the lone source and reflecting it around the room.

The eyes of the man in the chair watched it as it moved back and forth, back and forth, it was almost hypnotic, the way that the light seemed to dance on the edge of the gleaming silver blade.

Ibiki began to channel a miniscule amount of chakra into the blade if it shined a little brighter the man didn't notice. The assassin's eyes were still on the edge of the knife, his pupils dilating as the seconds past and Ibiki quickly began to form one-handed seals behind the man's head.

He moved the blade down toward the assassin's leg, stabbing his thigh; the man screamed out in agony, the corner of his eyes wrinkling in pain as the knife dug deeper into his flesh. He closed his mouth, biting his lip hard to prevent any more sounds to emerge.

He didn't want to give his torturer the satisfaction of hearing him in shout in pain, blood trickled down his chin from the self-inflicted wound, but it could not compare to the immense amount now oozing out of the wound on his leg, and his eyes closed as he tried to concentrate his breathing.

Ibiki brought his lips next to the man's ear, "This pain that you're feeling; it's nothing. This technique is special; I designed it myself… When that knife—" He twisted the blade, causing the man to twitch violently at the sensation, "Comes into contact with a person's blood, after I activate the jutsu, every single time—" He put more pressure on the blade, "It causes ten times the normal amount of pain that it would normally."

Ibiki pulled it out with one swift motion, twirling the red-coated blade in his hand he circled around to look at the man face-to-face, "Now, are you going to tell me what I want? Or am I going to have to use my toy a little more?"

The sound of harsh breathing echoed in the room as his head slowly lifted, brown eyes staring up at Ibiki, his mouth opened and he licked his parched lips, Ibiki raised an eyebrow, waiting for the mans response.

"Fuck… you," he said in a raspy tone, spitting on his torturer.

Ibiki leaned back, straightening up he brought one hand to his face, wiping off the saliva mixed with blood that was sliding down his cheek, and he casually sat down on the metal table, cleaning the blade off on his leg. The man's eyes watching him suspiciously as it seemed that he was doing nothing, but he inwardly thought that maybe, just maybe, it hadn't been a good idea to spit on him.

A dark grin appeared on his face and he let out a chuckle, "I was hoping that you would say that," he stated, his eyes flashing with anticipation as he brought down the blade once more into the other thigh causing an anguished cry to emit from the man.

Over an hour later the door to the interrogation room opened and Ibiki walked out with a pleased glint in his eye, he glanced over at the Anbu standing in the shadows, pointing over his shoulder at the barley breathing assassin.

"Take care of him for me," he said casually, patting the Anbu's shoulder with a bloody hand before stepping around him to walk out of the building; he had important news for the Sandaime concerning the employer of the now broken man that had been brought for him to play with.

"You're sure?" The Sandaime questioned seriously, hands folded together in front of him and Ibiki responded with a stiff nod of his head.

"There is no question, Sandaime-sama," the interrogator replied, "I broke that man, he wouldn't be able to lie to his own reflection now."

Sarutobi brought his pipe up to his lips, "I was not doubting your methods," he gave the man a wry look, "There are not many who would be able to," he paused searching for the proper word, "_Resist_ your techniques."

"Thank you for the compliment, Hokage-sama," Ibiki grinned, the scars on his face twisting because of the action.

"No, it is I who should thank you," Sarutobi protested, "After all, this information that you _extracted_ from that man will be most useful… most useful indeed," he gained a glint in his eyes.

Ibiki bowed to his leader, "By your leave, Hokage-sama," he said, turning to walk out of the room and go back to his office in the Torture and Interrogation building.

"Oh, and Ibiki," the special jounin glanced back at Sarutobi, "I would appreciate it if you brought me that man to me, I have something in mind for him."

"Of course, sir, I'll have one of my subordinates bring him over," and with one last half-bow he exited the room leaving Sarutobi to his thoughts.

The Kage looked back down at the top of his desk, eyes refocusing on the missive that he was about to send out to every council member, both shinobi and civilian. He stood up, pulling on his hat for the umpteenth time that day and began to walk down to the council room for the second time that day; he had something that he wanted to prepare before the rest of it's members arrived.

* * *

**AN: **Sigh, it's not as long as I would have liked to make it and I didn't get it out as fast as I thought I would because of the Terra Nova week that we had. Sorry about that. Uh, this was my first time writing a torture-ish scene and I'm hoping that it came out okay. Did it? Now before you, er, get angry with me or something, I don't know if Ibiki is actually old enough for him to be the head of T&I yet, but let's just pretend that he is. (I think he's around 20? in Naruto then around 30 in Shippuden?) Anyway, I hope that you enjoy. As usual, I would appreciate any critique that you would like to give. Thank you.

**_Edited: November 9, 2010_**


	4. Sarutobi's Surprise

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"**Sarutobi's Surprise"**

Sandaime quickly strode down the dimly lit pathway. The corners of his mouth pulled down and his eyes were glinting with slight anger and promise. His steps echoed as he neared the entrance of the council room for the second time and felt his heart harden with resolve.

He had warned them and now they would pay for their disloyalty, their impertinence, but most of all for even attempting to go around his back and kill the Yondaime's legacy, though they knew not that fact. And it would remain that way. If they had the nerve to attempt an assassination on the child now what would they do when it was revealed that he was in fact the child of their late and beloved Hokage?

Would the guilt twist their hearts, minds, and very souls? Or would they just scoff and think it falsehood? That he would spin some ploy to prevent them from trying such a thing again? Sarutobi squared his shoulders. It was even difficult for him to think such a thing, but… should he reveal Naruto's parentage to the village?

He hummed thoughtfully, the idea was appealing, especially at this time. Yes, yes it could work. The Council had seemed determined to hate the boy, but if he simply let it slip that he was Minato's son would it change their perspective. He slowly nodded; he would reveal it… but only when necessary and now was not the time to do so. He would keep that ace up his sleeve for a little while longer.

* * *

Several irate council members made their way through the entrance, walking over to their designated seats with scowls and unpleasant expressions; it was just past midnight and nearing the early hours of the morning. What were they needed here for when they had just met the previous day?

One especially aggravated civilian member decided to voice his complaints. "Why ever have you called us here, Hokage-sama? The moon is still out and the sky is still dark, could whatever this is not have waited till later on?" the man's nasally voice called out.

Barely a second later, the man wished that he hadn't as he became the sole focus of the Sandaime's stare. He fidgeted, sitting down in the uncomfortable wooden chair. After that none of the other council members spoke out of fear of placing the Kage's ire on themselves and soon all the members were seated quietly, waiting for Sarutobi to give his reasons for them being summoned yet again.

"I believe that you all must be wondering what it is I called you here for," Hiruzen began softly, standing up from his chair. He clasped his hands behind his back, walking out from behind the table. "There was a strange occurrence earlier, a man attempted to assassinate one I hold dear to me," he stated. "I, of course, sent this man to Ibiki and he… obtained information from him. The man's employer came as a surprise to me."

A commotion erupted fro the civilian members of the council, "How dare someone try such a thing against our Kage!"

"If another Village has dared to perform this atrocity then war will be waged," another promised, shaking his fist.

Sarutobi let out a breath, "No, it was not another Hidden Village.

The shinobi members of the council tensed, sensing that there were some hidden implications behind their Kage's speech.

"Was it a missing nin from Konoha?" A woman questioned.

"Was it your former student, Orochimaru?" asked another.

Sarutobi tensed at the name of his former student, dregs of guilt still settled in his heart at that particular betrayal. He shook his head, "It was neither. I believe that if I were to tell you that most would deny it."

"Who, then committed this crime, Hokage-sama?" asked a Hyuuga delegate, standing to his feet.

Sarutobi ignored the comment and continued talking, the man would be revealed soon enough, "I wish for you all to meet him." He snapped his fingers and Ocelot brought the bloody man forward, pushing him down onto the wooden floorboards. The man held out his hands, pushing himself up to his knees and stared up at the ceiling and the Hyuuga sat back down, his pale lavender eyes staring down at the man.

"His name, as we have discovered it to be is Dansei Ryuu; a roaming mercenary who took the job because he was short on cash." He chuckled mirthlessly, a few of the council joined in his laughter, though theirs was lass bitter and more nervous.

"For his crimes against this village, his punishment shall be," Sarutobi placed one hand atop the man's head and paused before saying, "Death." His hand began to emit a brilliant white glow; it pulsed, the power flowing from the old man's hand.

A flash of white light filled the room for a split second causing several to quickly close their eyes from the brilliance. Sarutobi withdrew his hand from the man's head. Tears of blood began dripping down the assassin's cheeks from his open eyes, pupils no longer visible in the pools of red, and his body slowly collapsed onto the floor, a pool of crimson liquid forming around his head.

Sarutobi's hands lowered to his sides, his eyes cold as he lifted them to level a stare at the civilian council members, "His employer was this council." At the final word he spoke a group of Anbu members jumped out of the shadows and off of the ceilings, grabbing the men and women forcefully.

He turned, "I find it most disturbing that my own council would turn against me." He let out an aged sigh, before straightening. "This civilian council is now disbanded and if you so much as give the boy a foul look you will all be sentenced to death. Now leave," he stated.

The civilian members were silent as the Anbu dragged them out of the room, they were caught and there would be no use for them to even try to fight back now.

Sarutobi looked back at the shinobi council, his gaze cold and unwavering.

"Hiruzen, you must believe me, we had nothing to do with this!" Koharu interjected suddenly, standing in front of her teammate.

He raised an eyebrow, "I never insinuated that you did."

She flushed, her wrinkled face slowly turning red, "I-I swear it, Hiruzen, we had nothing to do with that plot."

"You lie," he said softly.

Koharu's eyes widened and she sent a hasty looked at Homura who quickly opened his mouth to speak, "Hiruzen, my friend, why would we do such a thing? We have nothing to gain from attempting to kill the boy." He laughed a little at the last part of his sentence.

Sarutobi didn't laugh with him.

Homura silently gulped, "There would be no reason at all for us to do-" He froze as killing intent filled the room, swirling around like a tornado and it was all focused on him.

"I tolerate many things," Sarutobi started, the normally warm and kind Kage that they were used to had disappeared. "But I will not abide _my_ council, _my_ village, or even _my _old _teammates_," Homura and Koharu winced, "To attempt to harm Uzumaki Naruto."

He gazed around the room, "This is now classified as an SS-class secret. I shall give you all one last chance, let it not be said that I am without mercy," and with one last look at the lot of them he shook his head in disgust, "You're all dismissed, this meeting is adjourned."

* * *

Rokojou Takai strolled down the dirt pathway, his hands in his pockets and his head lowered with a small smile on his face as he heard the whispers, whispers concerning a demon. A demon that needed to be punished, no, not punished, _killed_.

And as they spread from person to person the details transformed, they became a little more vague… and a little more frightening. Men and women were now casting wary glances around at their fellow citizens, their eyes accusing and unforgiving. None of them would ever forget the terror wrought upon the Village by that damned demon fox. And now… now they had someone on which to put the blame. They had someone to treat as they had been treated.

"_It's in that boy, a child," _one woman whispered.

"_The demon has bewitched the Sandaime into letting him live,_" a man suggested.

"_It should not be allowed to live,_" one spat furiously, glaring at any who dared to disagree and not many did.

"_Have you seen what it looks like?"_ another questioned angrily, "_It wears the face of the Yondaime to mock us!"_

It was the last comment that was the most painful. To think that the demon would torment them by wearing the face of the very man that had sacrificed all to save them, something had to be done. It was disgusting, letting that _thing _live.

In the shade of the marketplace a gathering of the former civilian council stood, each silent for a moment, looking around in fear of being watched by the Anbu.

"Who was it? Out with it now, or we'll all be killed, " a particularly worried woman hissed, her hands shaking.

"You cannot be so stupid as to believe that it was one of us," the man with the nasally voice interjected. The woman looked affronted. He continued, "I mean, if it were one of us, then why would we show up to this so called 'meeting' to discuss the culprit." He sneered at the woman, who narrowed her eyes at him in turn.

A different man stepped between the two of them, putting up both of his hands placating them, "You must calm yourselves. We are here to find the perpetrator, not argue amongst ourselves." He gave both a stern look. "Now, who do you believe it is? Who is not among us?"

He glanced around at the rest of the group. The others began muttering darkly to one another. The man's brow furrowed and suddenly realization hit him.

"Takai," he whispered, eyes widening. "Oh no, my friend, I sincerely hope that it was not you who has done this."

Soon enough these whisper reached the ear of Sarutobi. The brush in his hand was cracking as he clenched his fists.

"I want the person responsible for this found. Now," he ordered, standing up out of his chair. The Anbu moved to do his will and he turned to the bay window, gazing out at the Village.

Rokojou Takai took a match out of his pocket, waiting in the darkness. There was a shift in the room and the lights turned on. Takai turned his gaze to the intruders and let out a bitter chuckle seeing whom it was. The fragrant scent of alcohol tingling through his nose caused him to sniffle. He rubbed at his nose with the sleeve of his shirt, a trail of mucus left on the off-white fabric.

"The Sandaime, to what do I owe the pleasure." He gave a mocking bow and coughed.

Sarutobi, however, was not amused, "Do you know what it is you have done, Rokojou?"

Takai sneered, "I've let the whole village know about that demon in human's skin." His eyes flashed with anger and he continued his tirade, "How could you let that _thing_ live? It attacked our ninja, it destroyed the Village, and it _murdered_ my wife!" The last part of his sentence turned into a sob as he spat out the words.

The glint in his eyes brightened, his grip on the match tightened, his knuckled turning white, "At least they know that they'll never be safe, that _thing—_"

"Takai!" Sarutobi snapped. "You are under arrest for—"

Takai laughed, clutching his side, tendrils of his dark hair covering his eyes, "You can't arrest me, _Hokage-sama,_ I've done nothing wrong."

"You've leaked SS-class secrets to the civilians of the village," Sarutobi accused, "And went against my direct orders! Anbu, take him—"

Takai laughed once more, a sinister expression on his face, he spat on the ground, "It's too late for that." He lit the match and threw it onto the ground.

"May you burn with the Will of Fire," he shouted, flames growing around his feet until they encompassed his entire body.

The Anbu who were meant to arrest him immediately burst into action, grabbing their Kage and shushining from the burning room.

Sarutobi stared into the bright, raging fire. The flames reflected in his eyes. He stood there a moment longer, the Anbu stock still beside him, waiting for any orders that he might issue, but none came.

The Kage turned away from the fire; blinking slowly he uttered one single order. "Put it out." With two synchronized nods the Anbu moved forward, forming multiple hand signs quickly and using Suiton jutsu to kill the flames.

Several civilians watched from their windows, their eyes wide and slowly calming when they saw the Anbu. One man in particular let out a forlorn sigh, his hand resting on the pane of the window. He shook his head, graying hair fluttered with the motion and he slowly retreated into the darkened room.

Meanwhile, Sarutobi was making his way back to the Hokage Tower, the ground cracking underneath his feet as waves of chakra and anger flew off the old man. He snapped his fingers and immediately three different Anbu appeared at his side.

"Hare, you are to invent a story to cover the existence of that fire. Monkey, go with him." The two masked Nin shushined away and Sarutobi continued forward, but turned his head to look at the third member of the Assassination squad.

"Crane," he began softly. "I have a mission for you." He pushed open the doors to the tower, making his way to his office. He startled quite a few Chuunin and Jounin that were either coming back from missions with their reports or waiting to be assigned one.

The Anbu member remained silent for the few minutes it took to arrive; waiting for the Kage to continue speaking. Sarutobi slowly lowered himself into his chair, resisting the urge to rub at his temples. The Anbu took off his mask, revealing an aged face that was lined with concern.

"Hiruzen, what is the matter?" he asked.

Sarutobi looked up at his friend, "Crane—Teuchi, I need to call in that favor."

The man, now revealed as Teuchi, chuckled, his posture relaxing. "Three years have passed and now you want that favor?"

Sarutobi nodded once. He leaned back, choosing his words carefully before speaking, "I need you to look after—"

"Uzumaki, right?" Teuchi interrupted. Sarutobi started. A small smile appeared on Teuchi's wrinkling face, "I've known you far too long for you to surprise me, old friend. I'll take the mission; I've been meaning to retire."

He stepped over to the Hokage's desk and laid the Crane mask on its top. "Who knows," he mused, "Maybe I'll open up a Ramen stand." He chuckled, "Ichiraku's Ramen Stand, has a nice ring to it, eh?" He quirked an eyebrow questioningly.

Sarutobi let out a laugh, "That it does. That it does."

* * *

**Four Years Later…**

Uzumaki Naruto stared out through the shaded screen that separated him from the outside world, his small hands pressed against the wooden frame of the window. He scrunched his nose, the whisker marks on his cheeks stretching out cutely as he watched people pass by in silence.

He glanced down at the soft plushie monkey sitting besides him on the windowsill, "What 'ou fink, Enma-chan?" he questioned it curiously; his speech slurred as any other four year olds.

He gazed into its plastic bead eyes for a moment as it 'spoke' to him. A toothy grin appeared on his face as he turned back to face the window, grabbing the plushie and clutching the monkey to his chest tightly, "I fink tho too. They ith funny looking."

He continued his watch and soon boredom replaced his curiosity and the child ended up leaving the spot to do something else.

The four year old ended up meandering into the baby's room; he tiptoed over to the cradle to look inside at the baby. His cerulean eyes stared down at the sleeping babe, "Hewo Koha'maru," he whispered loudly.

His eyes widened when Konohamaru rolled over, facing him. He stared at the small baby and gave a big grin. "Maby when 'ou wake up we go pay." Slowly he reached out to touch the babies' small hands when a loud gasp startled him.

"What do you think your doing, you monster?" A feminine voice shrieked shrilly. Turning quickly he found it was Konohamaru's mother seething with unhidden rage. He flinched away from the woman, averting his eyes to stare at the wooden panels that lined the floor.

"I was only go'in to touch his hands. They look so sof." Naruto held his plush toy closer, feeling afraid of the woman who stalked closer to him. He yelped in surprise when she grabbed his arm, her long nails digging into the soft flesh of his upper arm and pulled him out of the room.

"You will **not** touch my son with your filthy little demon hands, do yo—"

"Hey Nee-chan," Sarutobi Asuma called, walking up the stairs to the second floor. "Do you know where I put my trench knives? I wanna practi—" He paused, seeing his brother's wife patting Naruto's head. "Uh… 'sup Naruto?"

Naruto's terrified face turned to the Hokage's youngest son and a wide smile quickly appeared, showing all of his teeth like they did in those pictures that he saw. "Hi Asuma-nii what 'ou do'in?"

"I'm going to practice," he answered somewhat proudly, straightening. He eyed the boy for a moment. "Wanna join?"

Naruto's smile brightened and he let out a whoop of joy, jumping off the ground and punching the air with his fist. Asuma shook his head good-naturedly and swaggered over to his room, to find the knives. Konohamaru's mother waited until Asuma had entered his room before turning to face Naruto.

"Shut up! Or you'll wake up my baby!" She said with a teasing tone and lightly smacked his head. Naruto rubbed at his head feeling a little bit of liquid coming on his hands. His eyes watered a bit and he hid his face behind his toy. He moved away from the woman and took baby steps toward Asuma's room.

The brown haired genin let out a yawn as he reached under his bed, hand groping for the weapons. His hand landed on a box, "Found it." He pulled the black box out and took off the lid.

"Whas dat?" Naruto questioned, looking over Asuma's shoulder. Asuma turned and gave Naruto a small smile.

"These are my babies." He said with pride, gesturing to the box.

Naruto's nose wrinkled, "You put your babies in a box?" The older boy chuckled and took out his knives.

"Well, they aren't real babies, but they are really important to me." He gave Naruto a smile but it was quickly wiped off from his face. "Hey, what's wrong Naruto? You're bleeding."

The child looked at his hands and quickly put it behind his back. "I jus bump into somt'in. I okay."

Asuma frowned, clearly concerned for his 'otouto'. He reached over, ruffling the boy's blond hair gently, "If you say so."

Naruto flinched back from the touch, not wanting for Asuma to feel his boo-boo. "Les go pactice," he stated loudly, running from the room.

Asuma chuckled and followed after him. Before he started to go down the stairs a glint caught his eye. Bending down, he saw that it was a bent safety pin with a tinge of red on its sharp tip. He paused and stared at it with calculating eyes. Picking it up he looked up at the open nursery door where he could see his brother's wife holding his nephew in her arms. She was cooing to him, rocking back and forth with a smile on her face.

"Nee-chan you…" he trailed off. He felt his blood pump faster, seeming to boil under his skin.

"ASUMA-NII! HURRY UP!"

He walked towards the stairs, pocketing the safety pin, and with a sigh, "In time, not right now." He raised his voice, "Oi, Naruto, calm down."

* * *

I apologize to any/all reading this. I'm a very bad upload-er person. There are a bunch of things in real life that occupied my time and I just put this to the side. I will strive to focus more on this story. Hopefully you like where this is going. As always, if there are any suggestions/critiques/ideas/errors that you see/want to give they will be welcomed and celebrated.

Sincerest Apologies,

Obscure Stranger


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